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L. H. HOOVER TACK HAMMER.

(No Model.)

No. 365,255. Patented June 21, 1887.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' LOUIS H. HOOVER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

TACK-HAMMER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 365,255, dated June 21, 1887. Application filed January 25, 1887. Serial Nb. 225,471. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS H. HOOVER, of St. Louis, Missouri, have made a new and useful Improvement in Tack-Hammers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The improvement consists in providing a tack-hammer with an appliance by means of which atack can be temporarily secured to the face of the hammer, and the operator thereby enabled to utilize the hammer for inserting the tack at elevations, or in positions difficult or inconvenient to reach with the tack directly in the hand.

The most desirable mode of carrying out the improvement is illustrated in the annexed drawings, making part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a tack-hammer having the improvement. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the hammer-head. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the hammer-head. Fig. 4 is a view of the hammer-head in the direction of the handle; and Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of an end of the hammerhead, a tack being attached.

The same letters of reference denote the same parts.

The hammerhead A preferably used is a double one, having the faces B andO. The holder by means of which the tack is confined against or in the hammerhead can be variously shaped, and can be attached to the hammer-head by various means. As shown in the drawings, it consists of a plate, D, of springy material,bifurcated at its ends d d,and secured crosswise upon the hammer-head, so that the ends d (1 project, respectively, beyond the sides of the face B, and in the place of thefaceB being flat it is preferably notched to receive the plate D, which is fastened at the bottom of the notch b to the head by means of the screw E. The notch toward its top is narrowed to prevent the end of the plate from being accidentally drawn, outward too far from the bottom of the notch.

The sides of the hammer-head opposite the ends of the notch, substantially as shown at b are grooved to facilitate the attachment of the tack, the procedure being as follows: The tack F is turned to point away from the hammer-face, and is slipped between the forks d d of one of the ends of the plate, with its head f underneath the plate and between the plate and the bottom of the notch, substantially as shown in Figs. 2, 5. The plate end presses with sufficient force upon the tackhead to cause the tack to be held in position while it is being driven part way into the desired place. The projections b b prevent the tack from being driven in so far as to cause it to bind between the plate andthe bottom of the notch, for the practice is, after the tack has been partly driven, to slip the hammer off the tack, and then to complete the driving in the ordinary manner, and preferably by means of the other face, 0. In withdrawing the hammer from the tack the plate end d can yield somewhat, if necessary, to always admit of the hammer being readily removed; but the shoulders I) prevent the plate end from being sprung too far. By having the plate ends project from both sides of the hammer-head the hammer is adapted to receive the tack at either end of the plate.

The improved hammer is quite useful in nailing placards in elevated positions. The tack can be passed partly through the placard and then inserted between the plate and hammer-face, and then both the placard and the tack can be raised by means of the hammer, and the tack driven, as described.

\Vhile for holding the tack it is not essential for the end d or ends d d to project beyond the side of the hammer-head, as shown, it is desirable to have them project, as thereby the tack can be more readily attached.

I claim- 1. A hammer-head vertically and centrally notched across its face B, forming projections I), having on their inner faces the shoulder b combined with the plate D, bifurcated at its ends and fitting between the shoulders I), and with the screw E, by which the plate is fastened to the head, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the hammer-head centrally notched across its face, said notches having shoulders b with the plate D, bifurcated at its ends and extending above and below the hammerhead, and with the screw E, secured to the head,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

Witness my hand this 20th day of January, 1887.

LOUIS H. HOOVER.

Witnesses:

O. D. MooDY, O. O. LOGAN. 

